Category: Dining & Entertainment

Nibbles & Bytes

The Joint Welcomes New Doctor

The Joint Chiropractic of New Tampa (19014 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) is proud to welcome Dr. Richard Tantillo.

Dr. Tantillo will be at the New Tampa location Mondays-Fridays. He has earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the State of New York, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Strayer University, and a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, NY, in 2000.

Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Dr. Tantillo also has worked in Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg.

His own first-hand experience with chiropractic led him to this point in his life.

“After long-lasting back pain, I visited a chiropractor and received my first chiropractic adjustment,” he says. “I felt immediate relief. I started chiropractic college two years later and have never looked back.”

He is grateful for the opportunity to work at The Joint Chiropractic in an environment that doesn’t lose sight of the goal: serving people who need help.

“I had practiced for years following the insurance model,” he says. “Over time, I saw many of my patients no longer able to afford chiropractic care due to high deductibles and copays. The Joint offers an affordable solution that allows almost everyone to enjoy the benefits of regular chiropractic care.”

Appointments are never required to visit The Joint. For more information, call (813) 644-8944 and please tell D. Tantillo you read about him and The Joint in the Neighborhood News!

North Tampa Bay Chamber News!

Although Jannah and I had to miss this year’s “Excellence in Business” awards gala, hosted by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (for the first time), we had a pretty good reason — Jannah’s daughter Lauren gave birth to our first grandchild — the precious Rosalie (“Rosie”) Carolyn Cione — at about the same time as the event.

Congrats to Lauren & her fiancé Albert for bringing this most precious 6-lb., 3-oz. (at birth) bundle of joy into the world! Thanks also to Jeanine McLeod of Cloud 9 Studios (search “Cloud 9 Studios” on Facebook) for this too-perfect pic of Baby Rosie (below left)!

Even though we missed the awards gala, I still wanted to congratulate this year’s award winners. As a former “Small Business of the Year” award winner (in 2014) for the former Wesley Chapel Chamber, I know how nice it is to accept one of these awards:

“Small Business” – Advisor Magazine

“New Business” – Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel

“Large Business” – AdventHealth Wesley Chapel

“Entrepreneur” – Slater • Grant

“Large Business” – AdventHealth Wesley Chapel

“Volunteer” – Cam Caudle, Shred 360

For more information about the North Tampa Bay Chamber, call (813) 994-8534 or stop by at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A-1, Lutz.

Congrats, Parks Ford!

Speaking of the Chamber, November has been a busy month for NTBC ribbon-cutting events. Congratulations go out to Ron Parks (in yellow in photo above) and the entire team at Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel (28739 S.R. 54), which unveiled its newly revamped showroom at a ribbon-cutting event on Nov. 13. The amazing thing is that the dealership never closed during its massive (and impressive) renovation! For more info, call (888) 742-4177 or visit FordofWesleyChapel.com.

Your CBD Store Opens!

Congrats to owner Debra Curler of the new Your CBD store in the Pebble Creek Collection. We previously told you about the opening of the Your CBD Store in Wesley Chapel, well New Tampa has now added another link in the largest chain of CBD stores, with nearly 500 locations nationwide and still growing. Curler says Your CBD Store’s hemp-based products have extremely low levels of THC (0.3% or less) and therefore will not offer a psychoactive “high” like marijuana. It’s even safe for pets!

For more information about Your CBD Store (19651 BBD Blvd.) or call (813) 994-0599.

Fresh Healthy Café Celebrates 10 Years

Congrats also go out to Emily and Michael Schaefer, who celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Fresh Healthy Café in The Shops at Wiregrass with an NTBC ribbon cutting on Oct. 16.

Fresh Healthy Café originally opened under another name, and Emily and Michael have only owned it for three years, but it’s still a perfect complement to the Fit Niche running and fitness store located next door and its delicious smoothies, bowls, wraps, sandwiches and fresh juices have kept customers coming back for more.

The Schaefers are both U.S. Army veterans and genuinely cool people, so I hope you’ll let them know that you read about them in the Neighborhood News or perhaps saw our video of their ribbon cutting on Neighborhood News Online. Fresh Healthy Café is located at 28139 Paseo Dr. For more info, call (813) 973-3578 or visit FreshRestaurants.com.

Havertys Unveils Its Remodeling!

Also cutting a ribbon with the NTBC on Oct. 10 was Havertys Furniture, located off S.R. 56, just east of I-75, which unveiled its newly remodeled showroom.

Wesley Chapel Havertys manager Brandon Young says the store’s new look will appeal to Havertys’ base clients, who tend to skew a little older than some furniture stores, as well as younger furniture shoppers who will appreciate getting quality furniture at a fair price. For more info, call (813) 994-0541 or stop by at 26450 Golden Maple Loop and tell Brandon& his crew we sent you! — GN

Prism Concert Highlights Wharton’s Music Programs

As holiday breaks approach for all of our local schools, Wharton’s band, orchestra and choir programs will get together to make music in a somewhat unexpected style that has become an annual tradition.

Called “Prism,” it will feature every large performing ensemble in the school’s music department, which includes the band, orchestra and chorus.

“The concert runs in a non-traditional, continuous or circular format,” explains Justin Swaim, music department chair, “with varying performing locations throughout the concert hall.”

So, when one ensemble finishes performing, the spotlight will instantly move to another area of the auditorium and the next piece will begin.

It might go from a vocal solo of a popular holiday song to a string quartet playing a classical piece. Then, the entire orchestra may appear on stage, while the jazz band sets up in the back corner.

Swaim says Prism is a fast-paced, fun and somewhat unexpected evening.

Groups scheduled to perform include Wharton’s Wind Ensemble, Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Wildcat Orchestra, Jazz Band, Lady Catz Choir, Mixed Choir, Percussion Ensemble and smaller ensembles.

The school’s marching band, called Wharton Regiment, will fill the auditorium in a unique way. Typically, its sounds are reserved for outdoor football fields.

But, during Prism, the Wharton Regiment brings a modified version of this season’s halftime show, which scored straight superiors (the highest possible score) at its MPA (Music Performance Assessment) competition last month and features music from Marvel Studios’ “The Avengers.”

From quiet to loud, classical to contemporary, Swaim says that at Prism, “there is always something for all ages and all musical tastes.”

Prism will be held on Friday, December 13, at 7 p.m. in the Wharton High School auditorium, located on the south side of the school (closer to Walmart) at 20150 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Admission is $5 for adults and free for students with student ID and children ages 12 and under. All proceeds from admission will go directly to supporting the students participating in the Wharton High music department.

For questions regarding the concert, please email Justin Swaim at justin.swaim@sdhc.k12.fl.us. — CM

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New Tampa Brew Fest Makes Strides In Second Year

The official numbers hadn’t been tallied at our press time, but according to event co-chair Chris Stennett, there is no mistaking that, once again, the Rotary Club of New Tampa Noon’s second annual New Tampa Brew Fest was a hit.

Hundreds of revelers strolled from table to table in the Venetian Center at St. Mark The Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd., sampling nearly 100 offerings from more than 30 breweries, both big and small, sometimes to wash down the food being served by three outstanding food trucks outside.

The breweries represented included everything from large companies like Cigar City, Florida Avenue, Coppertail and Goose Island to smaller craftsmen who brew out of their garages, like Krazy Eddie’s Garage (KEG) Brewing, Ignorant Ales and Wiregrass Brewing Co.

“We were really, really happy with the event,” said Stennett afterward. “I feel good about what we did, and we are thankful for the community for coming out to support us.”

The event is the primary fundraiser for the New Tampa Noon Rotary (which meets Wednesdays at noon at Bayscape Bistro inside Heritage Isles Golf Club) and helped the club contribute thousands of dollars to causes like the Fisher House at the James Haley VA Hospital last year.

Few came further for this year’s event than Wisconsin’s Dennis Zweber (above, left), who took his brother Greg (right), who lives in Lutz, up on an offer to fly down for the Brew Fest and enjoy some better weather.

Dennis, who lives in Soldier’s Grove, WI, just east of Madison, found a plane ticket for $67 out of Minneapolis — about four hours away — and said that going to beer festivals was one of his family’s favorite pastimes.

“I figured, ‘What the heck,’” said Dennis. “We always have a great time when we go to these things.”

Dennis said he was impressed by the New Tampa Brew Fest, considering it was only the second year the event has been held.

“I was really impressed with the quality of the beers,” he said. “They had a lot of breweries, a lot of variety. I drank a lot of really good beer.”

Dennis, who tends to enjoy darker beers, said his favorite was the organic Peppermint Porter served by Randy Gailit, who brews his Wiregrass Brewing Co. (page 40) out of his garage in the Meadow Pointe community. “That was a really beautiful beer,” Dennis said.

Wiregrass Brewing Co. wasn’t the only local to draw rave reviews. Double Branch Artisanal Ales (DBAA), which is opening a place in The Grove in Wesley Chapel in January, drew a lot of attention for its offerings, particularly the Orange Suede, a passion fruit, orange peel, pineapple and marshmallow sour.

For DBAA co-owner Ryan Clarke, his first New Tampa Brew Fest was a success. He said the Orange Suede was so popular he had to crack open a second keg of it.“I thought it was a great event, and a great chance to introduce ourselves to the beer-loving community,” Clarke said.

beer New Tampa

Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar To Breathe New Life Into The Grove

Jamie Hess was as excited as he could be when he jumped headfirst into a pool built — and filled with hope and dreams — by developer Mark Gold.

Within days of Gold’s $62.7-million purchase of The Grove shopping complex, Hess (and his brother Joe) was one of the first local business people to sign a lease which will allow his idea of bringing a non-chain restaurant and dueling piano bar to Wesley Chapel to come to fruition.

Hess wasn’t alone in his excitement, apparently. When it came to naming his place, Hess turned to four area Facebook pages, including the popular Wesley Chapel Community and Wesley Chapel Network pages, and turned it into a contest.

The result: 1,830 entries, more than a thousand more than he says he expected.

So, welcome to Wesley Chapel, Treble Makers.

“The response has been unbelievably overwhelming,” says Hess, who has owned Gadget Repair in the New Tampa Commons plaza near the Shops at Wiregrass since January. “It has definitely exceeded expectations.”

The credit for coining the name Treble Makers goes to Wesley Chapel’s Rodney Beuno, who was the first of three Facebook posters to suggest it.

He will be rewarded with VIP entry at the Treble Makers grand opening, with free food and free drinks, and will also receive a $500 bar and restaurant tab.

Sara Brinkley and Mara Mroz, both of Wesley Chapel, also chose the same name, and will each receive a free VIP experience for their efforts.

With the name out of the way, Jamie is now focusing on bring the piano bar to life. He will apply for his permit on Nov. 26, he says, and has been ordering kitchen equipment while the designs are being finalized.

“Once that permit comes, we’re running,” he says.

Treble Makers will be located in “The Village,” as Gold now calls it, which is the long-dormant retail/office plaza located across the parking lot from the big box stores in The Grove, closer to I-75.

Jamie and Joe will be located right across a parking lot from the new Double Branch Artisanal Ale brewpub, which is hoping to open by the end of the year.

“That whole area was a ghost town, but they (Gold and his Mishorim Gold Properties) are shaking it up,” Jamie says.

Jamie also says that Treble Makers will be a full menu restaurant serving American cuisine from salads to steaks and everything in between.

On most weeknights during dinner hours in the 6,000-sq.-ft. restaurant, a single pianist will be featured. And, on the weekends, dueling pianists — adults only, Jamie says — will take over. There also will be other forms of live entertainment, with karaoke and trivia nights sprinkled in.

Treble Makers will be surrounded by a number of ethnic-themed restaurants, and a short walk from a container park that already is drawing massive interest. Being a part of The Grove was a big deal for Jamie when he signed his lease three weeks ago.

“I’m a big believer in the Wesley Chapel community,” Jamie says. “This is really an exciting time, and I think Wesley Chapel needs something like The Grove. Downtown Tampa is great and nice, but we need a place like that at home.”

restaurant

Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot Ready For 7th Year

The Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot continues to grow, from roughly 1,400 runners in its inaugural year of 2013 to a total of 2,263 last year.

Will that number be topped again in 2019?

This year’s 5K (3.1 mile) race is scheduled for Thanksgiving morning — Thursday, November 28, 7:30 a.m., with a 1-mile family walk starting at 8:40 a.m.

Since the Wobble began, more than 14,000 people have come out to take on the 5K course that winds around the mall and down Paseo Dr. to kick off Thanksgiving morning.

In that time, more an $170,000 has been raised and distributed to area charities by sponsors The Rotary Club of New Tampa, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Foundation and FitNiche charities.

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Foundation put its Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot 2018 proceeds to work by providing the needed medical/hygiene supplies for Pioneer Medical Group Foundation’s second annual Health Fair. The fair will be at Perry Harvey Park in downtown Tampa and will serve the homeless and underserved.

There is still time to register for the race at WiregrassWobbleTurkeyTrot.com, which also offers registration for team competitions for families, corporation and schools.

The registration fee is $35 in advance, or $40 on race day.

All runners will receive a tech shirt, with awards for the top three finishers in each 5K age group.

There will be finisher medals for the 1-Mile Fun Run, and post-race festivities and awards from 8:15 a.m.-10 a.m.